1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a patient orientation table of the type having a base or pedestal, a carrier element in the form of a C-arm flexibly mounted thereupon, a tabletop flexibly arranged on this carrier element which is variable in height by means of the C-arm, a motorized drive means for moving the C-arm, and a motorized drive means for moving the tabletop, the latter drive means being arranged at the C-arm in the region of the articulation point of the tabletop.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such patient orientation tables are used in connection with medical diagnostic and therapeutic devices, such as an X-ray device or the like, for example. They serve to receive the patient awaiting examination and are generally movable between a lowered position, in which the receiving of the patient is facilitated, and a raised position, in which the examination is then performed. This occurs by means of a carrier element which is flexibly supported at a base arranged at the floor side, this carrier element being vertically extensible in an upward fashion at this base. To this end, the carrier element is connected by a drive means in the form of a chain or the like, for example. In this context, one-piece carrier elements are known which generally permit a tabletop lift of 30 cm. In practice, this is frequently too little, since--proceeding from the necessary maximal height for treatment--the lowering is not sufficient in this case to enable a simple transfer of the patient from a sick-bed or the like. The minimal height is frequently still too high for older people as well. To counteract this, telescoping carrier elements exist which have two parts and which enable nearly double the lift, or around 60 cm. A disadvantage of these patient orientation tables is their complexity due to the telescoping carrier elements, this complexity resulting in considerably higher costs as well.
Furthermore, German OS 42 29 318 discloses a patient orientation table of the above type wherein the tabletop is swivelled about an axle which is fixed in place.